


Everything Else

by piperset



Category: The West Wing
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Episode Tag, Episode: s07e21 Institutional Memory, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Introspection, Making Up, Talking, danny is low key a socialist, i hope you like talking, matt santos is a little shit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-18
Updated: 2021-01-18
Packaged: 2021-03-16 17:02:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,027
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28834590
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/piperset/pseuds/piperset
Summary: The aftermath of "Institutional Memory."
Relationships: Danny Concannon/C. J. Cregg
Comments: 6
Kudos: 19





	Everything Else

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone, I've never written fanfiction before but I recently got super into "The West Wing" and I felt the writers gave Danny Concannon a criminally low amount of screen time, especially towards the end. I get the feeling a lot of talking must have happened off screen to make CJ and Danny work, so here's my interpretation of what might have unfolded directly after the "what else?" line in s07e21. Enjoy!
> 
> Disclaimer: none of these characters are mine; they belong to Aaron Sorkin and whoever else the copyright includes. Also, this piece contains references to s01e12: "He Shall, From Time to Time" and s04e14: "Inauguration (Part 1)". I was heavily inspired by elflordsmistress (not sure how to tag someone's profile, someone teach me how pls) when writing this, so I'd highly recommend checking out their work!

**Adams Morgan, Washington DC**

**Early January, 2007**

“Okay. What else?”

CJ stared at him, blinking back the tears that had crept into her eyes over the past few minutes. She made a vague gesture towards the couch in Danny’s living room as she assembled herself. “We could start by sitting down.”

Danny smiled and put his drink down on the counter. “Sure. Want me to take your coat?” He asked gently.

CJ nodded, slowly disentangling herself from the mass of brown fabric required for surviving January in DC. As she handed her coat and scarf to Danny, her breath caught when she felt their hands brush together beneath the fabric. The whole exchange lasted about half a second, but the way the corner of Danny’s mouth twitched upwards as he meandered over to the coat rack let CJ know that he had registered it, same as she had.

“Do you want anything to drink?” Danny asked, walking back to where CJ was planted on the couch. 

CJ managed a half smile. “No, thanks. I’d rather not get liquored up if I’m going to be spilling my guts to you tonight.”

“Who said anything about spilling guts?” Danny replied, his voice just a little raspy as he sat down next to her. “Talking is just fine.”

CJ looked at him expectantly for a moment, waiting to see whether he’d say anything else. Danny patiently looked back, giving her space to collect her thoughts. His eyes were so blue it almost hurt. After a moment, it became clear to CJ that he was waiting for her to initiate the conversation. She took a breath.

“So,” she started, testing the water. “Matt Santos did a number on me today.”

“I could tell.”

“He said he wouldn’t take no for an answer.”

“That seems impolite.”

“He’s the president-elect.”

“Still impolite.”

CJ shook her head. “He could definitely use me, Danny. I basically gave him a roadmap to getting Congress to close the deficit. It involves an increase in gas taxes that would give Howard Stackhouse second thoughts.”

Danny raised his eyebrows. “That’s impressive. I imagine the Majority Leader would have something to say about that.” 

“It’s only because I convinced the President to write a budget so far left that they’d have no choice but to pass whatever Santos puts out.”

“That’s my girl.”

“Are you flirting with me?” CJ asked, tilting her head to the side.

“Nah. I’ve just been reading a lot of Eugene Debbs lately.”

“You’re impossible.”

“A’kay, you win,” Danny conceded, flashing her a bashful smile reminiscent of those he’d thrown at her in the press room over the years. “I was flirting with you.”

CJ felt her face grow hot. “Can I finish my story?”

“Of course.”

CJ took in a long breath. “I guess it comes down to the fact that I’m  _ tired _ , Danny. I’ve worked in the White House for eight years, and campaigned for a few more. You more than anyone know what it’s done to my human skills, or whatever you called it at dinner last October.”

“Something along those lines.”

“Yeah, and don’t get me wrong, I’d be honored to work for Santos. Josh was right, he’s the real thing. And I know I could do the job, I mean, after Chief of Staff, I can handle anything. But I–” She paused.

“What?” said Danny, softly. 

CJ lowered her voice, shifting the slightest bit closer to where Danny was seated at the opposite end of the couch. “Remember a few years ago, when you were slinking around the White House, nagging me about the Shareef story?”

Danny knew exactly what moment CJ was dancing around, and he fought to keep his features level when he nodded in affirmation.

“I haven’t forgotten what you said to me,” CJ continued, her voice not much louder than a whisper. “And what I said back.”

_ Remember when you asked me what I’d do to have you? I’d do that. _ That exchange in an empty West Wing office, minutes before a press briefing, hadn’t faded from Danny’s memory a single bit in the years since it had happened. He remembered the citrusy notes of her perfume, the exact shade of turquoise of her blouse, the way her hands had felt on his chest as she caressed him.

“I haven’t forgotten either,” was all Danny could manage.

“I meant it,” CJ confessed. They suddenly made eye contact across the couch and for some intangible reason the temperature in the room seemed to rise at least ten degrees. CJ’s gaze seemed to pierce every strawberry blonde curl on Danny’s head as if it were the first time, as he studied the lines in her face, memorizing them like the DC metro map. More than anything, Danny wanted to reach over and kiss her, but he knew it had to be her call. Another unbearably long moment passed. Abruptly, CJ looked back down, her momentary confidence lost. She began to fidget with her skirt.

“I meant it then, and it still goes now,” said CJ, recovering. “But it’s been complicated. And I haven’t done a great job of showing it.”

Danny wanted to say  _ you’re right _ , but he didn’t want CJ to think he was resentful. That conversation would certainly have to happen eventually, but not now.

“Nobody expected you to,” Danny said honestly. “It was against my better judgement that I pursued you in the early days, and you had every reason to close up as much as you did.” He thought for a moment. “It’s a good thing the roles weren’t reversed. If I had been press secretary I would have been fired the first day I met you.”

CJ laughed, but her stomach dropped a bit. She appreciated Danny trying to diffuse the tension, but his remarks couldn’t help but remind her of Toby. Danny obviously registered the shift and it only took him a moment to make the connection.

“I shouldn’t have said that.”

“No, it’s okay,” said CJ. If talk was what Danny wanted, now was as good a time as ever. She took a breath, and looked back up at him. “You might have guessed it already, but I saw Toby today.”

“Yeah.”

“Andi came into my office earlier. I think I’m going to ask the President to pardon him.”

“That’s big.”

“I know.”

“Do you think he’ll do it?”

“I don’t know.” CJ anxiously rubbed her the back of her neck. “He was really angry, Danny.  _ I  _ was really angry.”

“I’d be angry too. He betrayed your trust and compromised a classified national security initiative.” There was a hint of cynicism in Danny’s voice that he regretted as soon as the words left his mouth.

CJ looked at him pointedly. “You think he did the right thing.”

“Was that a question?”

“I know you do.”

“Don’t you?”

An awkward moment passed. CJ pulled her blazer tightly around herself as Danny watched her, his eyes daring her to respond. 

“Danny–” she started. “It’s different, when you’re on the inside. There are things you can’t do. Things I could have let slide as press secretary in the name of, I don’t know,  _ morality _ , I can’t do now. And Toby knew that.”

Danny opened his mouth to say something, but CJ continued, more passionately this time. 

“And I know what you’re going to say. You’re going to go on some high winded diatribe about the importance of a free press and  _ keeping the public informed _ . You’re a reporter; you can afford to choose the noble option. But I can’t, and neither could Toby."

Danny stared at her in silence for a few moments, then gently: “Is that everything?”

“Yes,” said CJ a little sheepishly after a moment’s consideration. Danny looked at her seriously.

“CJ, I know better than to give you a stump speech on moral philosophy. You don’t need to keep assuming that I’m blaming you for doing your job. I think the world is a better place because of both you and Toby’s work in the White House, and I trust the President’s judgement on whatever decision he makes.” 

Danny gave CJ a few seconds to take in his words. Eventually, she stopped fidgeting with her skirt and hesitantly met his gaze.

“You’re right. Thank you. I–” she swallowed. “I got defensive.”

“You did.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. This is part of your training.” 

CJ scoffed. “I should have you tarred and feathered.”

“I promise I’ll find another word for it.” He moved fractionally closer to her as he gathered his thoughts, deciding how to best frame what he wanted to say next. “As for the second thing you said, I think I’ve mentioned that I don’t want to be a reporter anymore.”

CJ raised her eyebrows. “You hinted at something of the sort, but this is a development.”

Danny shrugged. “I’ve been at it for awhile, and it’s been a good run, ya know.”

CJ looked over at Danny’s Pulitzer that sat on a shelf across the room. “It certainly has.”

“Yeah. But I can’t keep chasing quotes and soundbytes anymore, CJ. I can’t keep bothering press secretaries and hounding dead pilots.”

“That’s fair. You didn’t seem to mind bothering me when I was press secretary, though.”

Danny smiled stupidly. “Yeah, well, that was because I had a crush on you.”

CJ blushed. “Speak for yourself, nimrod.”

They sat in silence for another few seconds, both with red cheeks and a fast beating heart, neither daring to make a move. It was CJ who eventually said timidly, “Danny?”

“Yes?”

“You can come closer, if you’d like.”

Danny tried and failed to suppress his grin as he finally maneuvered himself over to CJ, putting his arms around her. She exhaled contentedly as he ran his fingers through her hair. This was a new feeling, allowing herself to feel comfortable in Danny’s arms; all previous instances of physical intimacy between them had either been chaste and rigid, or lustful and desperate. It took a moment, but CJ’s heartbeat began to slow down, her body adjusting to the warmth of being held.

“Thank you,” she said eventually. 

“For what?” said Danny, not unkindly.

“For listening. And for, you know, this,” she added for good measure.

Danny kissed the top of her head. “As I told you before,  _ I like the sound of your voice _ . And I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of, you know,  _ this _ .”

Another moment passed, but this time it felt easy and good. As Danny held her close, she smelled what might have been his aftershave, a scent she had first encountered in her office the night of Bartlet’s first state of the union, when she’d kissed him in the hopes of “getting past it.” She remembered how nervous she had been with Danny back then, always afraid Carol or Josh or god forbid, Leo, would barge in on one of their illicit rendezvous. But things had never gotten out of hand, and although her heart had been broken a few times in the process, CJ couldn’t help but smile as she let her mind wander back to the present, where she lay in the arms of the man she knew she’d never get past.

“Danny?”

“CJ?”

She looked up at him, her eyes glimmering with a hint of mischief. “Would you like to tell my security detail that the Chief of Staff is in for the night?”

Danny raised his eyebrows. “Only if that’s what you want.”

“I want it very much.” She reached up and kissed him softly on the mouth. 

“Well then, I’m gonna have to stop running my fingers through your hair,” he said, grinning as they broke apart. “But I’ll deal with it if you can manage.”

“If you must,” said CJ, gazing at Danny wistfully as he stood up and made his way over to the door. She suppressed a laugh as she watched him try to wipe that shameless grin off his face as he prepared to face the secret service agents. Whatever shape their relationship would take after inauguration, she took comfort in knowing that Danny sure as hell wasn’t past it either.


End file.
